Animatronic High School
by RyantheRabbit05
Summary: A strange note falls out of Tristan's locker. What could it mean? In this story featuring the anthropomorphic/animatronic character Tristan, mystery is unraveled as Tristan tries to solve the mystery of the mysterious notes he finds while simultaneously balancing friendships and good grades. The mystery may be unsettling, but the truth is even worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! This is my first story so I hope you enjoy!**

Tristan wrote his name on the essay. He changed the "a" and replaced it with an "I". Tristin. He imagined what it would be like with a new name, new identity even. He thought about what life would be like if he were completely different. Tristan was a black and red animatronic fox with vibrant yellow eyes. He often wore long sleeved shirts or hoodies with jeans or maybe some sweatpants. He was never hot, even in the hottest sunny day of summer. He thought about how he wished summer was longer and-

Tristan also got distracted easily. It had been 15 minutes and he hadn't even started the essay.

He changed his name back to "Tristan" on the paper. As he glanced over at the clock, he realized there were only 10 minutes until lunch. English was his 5th hour and then he had lunch afterwards. He began his essay.

* * *

Tristan sat down next to his three other friends at lunch that he usually sat with. They were in the middle of a heated debate on who would last the longest in the apocalypse.

Shane: No, I would probably live the longest because I have resources!

Shane was a pink and yellow animatronic bear who loved to talk and was very extroverted. But Shane also had the I.Q. equivalent to an actual bear. There was also Amelia. Amelia was a pink animatronic cat who often kept Shane from doing dumb things. She also was very nosy and loved gossip. There was also Noah who was a purple animatronic bunny who was the smartest and maybe the funniest of the group. As they were arguing, Tristan got his iPod and plugged his earbuds in, and listened to music. He loved music. He listened to his iPod as it played his favorite band, Panic! At The Disco.

* * *

As Tristan opened his locker, a folded sticky note fell out. He read the words carefully.

 _Tomorrow, 3:30, behind the school._

Tristan:(thinking) Thats really weird...

Tristan then gathered his things and got on the bus to ride home. Once he got dropped off, he shivered as he got out. Fall seemed to be creeping up slowly. He went inside his house, dropped his things on the couch, and started on his homework. Usually his parents got home around 5:00. He worked until 4:15 (he even finished the essay) and then decided to watch a movie. Later, he had dinner with his family and then went to sleep early.

 **Thats all for now guys! Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**If you see this, thank you for reading my second chapter! It means a lot to me! Anyway, back to Tristan's story!**

As Tristan walked down the hall to home room, Tristan noticed Noah and Amelia talking in the hall. He decided to ask them about the note he found yesterday. As he approached them, Noah greeted Tristan.

Noah: Hey Tristan, what's up?

Tristan: Nothing…

Amelia: You look like you have something on your mind…care to share?

Tristan: I found this weird note in my locker yesterday afternoon…(shows them).

Noah: (after reading) Wow...I've never seen anything like it really…

Amelia: Maybe you have a secret admirer!

Tristan: (embarrassed) What!? No! T-that's not what it is!

Amelia: (nods head while talking) Sure it isn't...

Noah: Anyway, we have to go to home room ok?

Tristan: Yeah...bye.

Tristan walked to home room and sat next to Shane, who was drawing a sketch on a piece of notebook paper. Tristan watched as all the animatronic animal anthros sat down at their desks, chatted with friends, caught up on homework, well…you get the idea. Tristan glanced over to Shane's sketch and caught a glimpse of it. It looked sort of like an 8-bit video game character.

Tristan: (thinking) Wow...that's really good…

* * *

Later, in gym, as Tristan sat in the bleachers in the gym, he noticed two other anthros that sat next to him, but did not notice him. Tristan was the quiet type. One of them was a light blue and white bear, the other a red and white animatronic anthro bunny. The bear started the conversation.

"What do you think we'll be doing today?"

"I don't know, I thought you would know"

"I don't think you even like gym, do you?"

"I do, I mean it's basically just running around and stuff"

"That's what I mean, you always don't like a certain thing when you talk about it like that"

"Like what exactly?"

"Like that thing we're talking about is very simple, like you talk about it very simply, because you said 'it's basically just running around and stuff'"

"I went to the sports game with you that one time remember? If you think I don't like gym or sports then your probably confusing me with somebody else or something because you can ask anyone we know, and they'll tell you I do"

"Even Sofia?" The bear said with a smirk on his face.

"Don't talk about Sofia" The rabbit's tone of voice seemed to rise a bit. "You know what happened between Sofia and I and I'm not going to get into it, especially because there's tons of people around and I don't want to spread rumors"

Tristan could just about hear Amelia's voice in his head now. "Rumors? What rumors? Who? What happened? Please just tell me!" Tristan would never tell her a secret even if she pleaded. What were the odds that she would just go off telling everybody? Even though Amelia was Tristan's friend, she had her faults.

Tristan started thinking about Amelia while running on the track later on 10 minutes later. Tristan was actually quite fond of her.

Tristan: (thinking) I would consider maybe asking her out if I were brave enough to do it…

Tristan caught sight of the bear and the bunny he had seen earlier. They were still in quite a heated debate but Tristan didn't eavesdrop.

Tristan: (thinking) Aw, who am I kidding? Amelia doesn't like me, might as well quit while I'm ahead.

Tristan usually kept lots of stuff in his head and didn't talk about it much because he didn't exactly believe that by telling people all your problems, they're just gonna get magically solved.

"Better to solve them myself" Tristan always thought. He thought facing problems himself was better than having to receive help.

* * *

Tristan read the note once more. He walked around the school building "better to solve them myself" he thought to himself as he walked around the corner of the school.


	3. Chapter 3

The gray clouds creeped over the sky. It was an oddly gloomy day. School was over. As Tristan walked around the corner to find a mysterious figure standing not too far from him. He could start to smell a strange smell. Like blood and gasoline. Tristan's ears started ringing. His heart stopped. He didn't know why but he was scared. Shocked. Nervous.

Tristan: (thinking) Something about this guy doesn't seem right…

The figure was an animatronic anthro bunny who wore a black trench coat and was entirely black, like a shadow. Tristan felt as if he or she was a ghost.

Tristan: Hello?

The figure: Hello, Tristan.

The figure sounded as if it were a he. So Tristan decided to go with that.

Tristan: Wait, who are you? And how do you know my name?

The figure: …

Tristan: ...well?

The figure: Who I am does not matter and as for your name? Well...I have known about you for a long time. (Chuckles eerily)

Tristan: Then tell me this, why the hell are you here?

The figure: Let's just say I took an interest into you a long time ago. And I have a message to give to you.

The figure walked around to corner of the building as Tristan ran after him only to find that, just like that, he was gone. Disappeared. In his place was another note that resembled the one he found in his locker that day, except more crumpled up. Tristan put the note in his pocket and decided to read it later.

* * *

Tristan decided to walk home for the day. He liked walking home anyway and his house was not far from the school. As he walked home, he couldn't stop thinking about the figure. The more and more Tristan stopped thinking about it, the more he started thinking about it, until that was the only thing on his mind. Then Tristan felt a new feeling. At first, he had noticed it before, and didn't think much of it since it didn't bother him. Now it felt like an unbearable itch. Like an addiction. An addiction that could not be satisfied with any medication, any prescription. The only thing that could satisfy this new addiction was the drug itself.

This new addiction was to crack the mystery of this person and the notes he left.

Tristan always really never cared about conspiracies and unsolved murders and always thought that reality was fine as it is. He definitely didn't think things need "solving" or anything similar to that. He surely thought that it wasn't worth the extra work, time, and brainpower. But when Tristan saw these notes? Along with that figure? He had felt a strange need to find the truth. And he wouldn't stop until he found it.

Tristan was approaching his house. Once he entered, he tossed down his stuff on the couch in the living room. Then he went upstairs to his bedroom. He let out a sigh as he looked around his room. It was very messy. It always was. He lied down on his unmade bed, took out the note and read it. It said:

 _Play along in my game and you just might find the answers you seek, failure to cooperate means punishment. And neither of us want that. I will give you a challenge to complete found in one of my notes, once completed you will find another note containing the next challenge for you. But you better hurry, time is limited. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock. Do you like riddles? Because we're going to start off with a classic riddle. "I have keys but no locks. I have a space but no room. You can enter, but cannot go outside. What am I?" Remember, time is ticking. Tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock._

 _S-_

Tristan read the note over and over again, reciting every detail in his head.

Tristan: (thinking) S? Is that like an initial maybe? And how am I supposed to know the answer?

Tristan checked the time. It was 3:57 p.m. Tristan decided to work on his homework. He could surprisingly focus more after he read the note. Tristan worked on his homework until 5:12 and then called Noah. Noah was smart. He could tell him the answer, right? He got his phone out, called Noah's number, and waited for what seemed like forever. The phone then picked up. It wasn't Noah. He heard a raspy voice, unlike the one he heard from the figure earlier.

Voice: No...cheating…

The phone started dripping blood and soon it leaked blood out of every crevice in the piece of technology. The phone emitted a high-pitched shriek and Tristan dropped the phone in fear but it would not stop-

Tristan woke up in fear. He had fell asleep doing his homework. He sighed with relief as he got up from the floor. It was dark outside by now and his parents were already asleep. He decided to skip dinner. He was too exhausted to put on nightclothes so he stripped down into his underclothes and then got into bed. He checked the time again. 11:33. He tossed and turned for a while and then finally was about to fall asleep when it hit him harder than 100 pounds of steel.

The answer is a keyboard.


	4. Chapter 4

_October 29th, 2012_

* * *

Tristan sat on the bench as he watched his friends skate in the empty parking lot. He knew he wanted to try it but didn't think he would be good at it. So he watched as Jason and his friends skated and did tricks.

Jason: Hey Tristan! Come skate with us!

One of Jason's friends whispered in Jason's ear, before they both chuckled a bit. Tristan wasn't one to wonder what they said, he just wanted to try and look cool in front of Jason.

Tristan: Ok, sure!

Tristan walked over to Jason and was handed a skateboard. Tristan started to get on the skateboard. Once he was on, he started to get the hang of it. Jason then walked over to Tristan and kicked the board out from under him. Tristan fell to the ground face-first on the cold pavement.

Jason: Oops!

Jason and all of his friends laughed at Tristan as he tried to get up from the ground. He wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve and stormed away from the skating park. He walked all the way home and didn't stop once even to wipe the tears from his face.

* * *

 _Present day, 2018_

* * *

Tristan woke up to the sound of beeping. He slammed his alarm clock off and got out from bed. Immediately when Tristan got out of bed, his head started throbbing. He got dressed and took some Tylenol and went through his morning routine. He then checked his phone, and got his homework along with his backpack and other stuff for school as well. Then Tristan went to the Spotify app on his phone, plugged earbuds in it, and played his custom made playlist of songs on the app. He left the house to leave for the bus stop he waited at.

Tristan: (thinking) A keyboard… what does that mean… it that where I can find my next note possibly?

His bus approached as his playlist began playing "Whatever It Takes" by Imagine Dragons.

* * *

Tristan had his plan all figured out. He would have to break a rule or two but he knew that was a price to pay. It wouldn't be easy, after all. But he'd find a way. Or at least he thought he would. He planned on sneaking into the schools computer lab after hours in order to find the next note. He planned on checking every single keyboard there was if it meant being able to get the next note.

"I wonder what's more important than school to you, Tristan."

He had gotten distracted in class again. He looked up at his stern English teacher. He wasn't very sure what to reply with.

Tristan: You know, breaking into the school and stuff. Same old things.

More than half the class laughed. Tristan couldn't believe he had said that out loud. He wonder if the teacher thought anything of it. For all he knew, they could be reporting him right now. But then a new thought occurred to Tristan. Why would they report him when he's never done anything wrong in school? He had great grades and never took a sick day. And after all, who would report a junior in high school like Tristan? Sure there were other anthros that messed around a lot of times but he wasn't one of them. Tristan sure didn't like school though. But who does?

At lunch, Tristan sat down next to his normal friends again and watched as his other friends talked to each other. He liked watching his friends talk and being able to absorb the information he got from them. He listened to Noah and Shane and-

Yeah, he had a crush on Amelia. He didn't want to ever admit it, but really, he knew he really liked her. She was very pretty and a very good singer. She's even made music on SoundCloud before. Other than being nosy, she was also very nice as well.

But Tristan never thought he could be with her outside of being friends. Tristan got his phone out, plugged his earbuds in, opened Spotify, and listened to "High Hopes" by Panic! at The Disco.

* * *

The rest of the day seemed to go by fast for Tristan and once he got home, he worked on homework as fast as he could, writing a million miles a minute. He went through his normal after school routine and even pretended to go to sleep until his parents were asleep themselves. He then got up, put on black, snuck out of the house, and walked back to the school. The moon was full and it was so dark outside, even with a flashlight he couldn't see a thing. But he naturally knew where the school was also. Once Tristan started approaching the school, he made sure to stay hidden.

Tristan: (thinking) Well, I've officially lost my mind now. Sneaking into the school at…(he checked his watch) 1 in the morning? I should have never listened to the note I found in my locker…

All he needed to do was search the computer lab, find the note, and get out. It was as simple as that, right? I seemed that simple, so how hard could it be?

Tristan: (thinking) Yeah… I can do this.

Tristan knocked on the nearby wood bench he saw just to make sure. No, he wasn't superstitious but then again if things like luck, karma, and being jinxed did exist, he didn't want to take any chances. Especially not when sneaking into a school at night.

Once he approached the nearest door, he tried to pick the lock. He actually learned how to pick locks one time when his friend, Noah, taught him back in freshman year. Tristan put a mental note to thank him some time for that, but also made a mental note to try and find a way to thank Noah without making it seem like he used those skills for wrong, like breaking into a school at night.

Tristan then stepped into the school building. He was in the art room. He knew how to get to the computer lab even though he didn't have any classes in the computer lab. He just knew the school. He knew he could do this an easier way but lacked the time and the brainpower to go any with any of those. He was halfway to the computer lab when he heard footsteps around the nearest corner. He figured it was the janitor. He couldn't risk getting caught by anyone so he dashed over to the nearest classroom. Locked. He quickly but quietly ran back around from where he came and to his locker to open it and get inside. He waited there for what felt like 10 minutes before he got out from the locker and creeped over to the computer lab.

As he walked inside, he studied the empty computer room. He searched about 13 computer keyboards until he found a note laying under the same keyboard connected to the same computer that his friend Noah uses in his computer class that he took. He didn't have time to read the note so he took the note and left the same way he came from. He didn't let his guard down all the way until he was at home and in bed. He was sure glad he didn't get caught.


	5. Chapter 5

He sat down on his bed. Tristan wanted to read the note. But at the same time he didn't. He was curious but nervous. He remembered what the last note said.

' _I will give you a challenge to complete found in one of my notes, once completed you will find another note containing the next challenge for you. But you better hurry, time is limited.'_

He opened his phone to check for new notifications. No new notifications. He was stalling. He reached over to get the note on his dresser and unfolded it. He then began reading.

 _So you figured it out, well done my friend. And congrats on...well…"infiltrating" the school, lets say. But it only gets harder from here._

Tristan shuddered. He thought that breaking into the school alone was hard. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to do something more difficult than that. He continued reading.

 _For your next challenge, what you must do is explore the nearby abandoned house and find the next note. But be thorough, because it won't be laying in plain sight._

 _S-_

Tristan: (thinking) That same initial… what could it mean?

He knew about the nearby abandoned mansion. He knew somebody that lived there long ago as well. His name was Jason. One time he tried skating with him but it didn't work out. He used to try to impress him all the time because he thought he was cool. But he found out he was just trying to bully Tristan and use him the whole time. Then one day, he just disappeared. People say he moved, some say he and his family even died. Most people agree it was just karma or something. He wasn't very favorited with others since he was always using people. Then again Tristan didn't believe in karma. Or so he thought. Tristan just didn't consider himself the superstitious type. But then again after finding the notes and even seeing the one who left them? Well he wasn't so sure.

He wanted to take a break from the notes for a bit. After breaking into the school, he wasn't exactly leaping into the next "challenge". So he went past the next week normally. He went to school as usual and went home as usual and repeated that process. As usual. He liked having to not worry about having to do any strange challenges and find weird notes and things like that. He sometimes thought about the challenge but then again didn't want to start it. He was nervous about it though. He remembered what the other note said about how if he didn't play along then that would mean "punishment". He wasn't exactly sure what that meant.

As he was thinking about it he saw the figure standing in his room. His ears started ringing again and he smelled the oh-so-familiar smell of blood and gasoline.

Tristan: What do you want?

The figure walked toward him. Tristan backed away as he walked a few steps to him.

Tristan: Also, why are you in my house?

The figure stood in the corner of his room silently. Then he finally spoke.

The figure: Things are getting a bit boring. You do realize what'll happen if you don't do my challenges?

Tristan: Yes. Punishment of some kind. But you haven't even told me what punishment would be so I'm not entire-

Tristan heard the sound of mom going up the stairs. Tristan's heart started beating a mile a minute. Before he could speak, the figure spoke for him.

The figure: Don't worry. She won't see me.

Tristan's mom entered his room. She asked him if she needed anything. Tristan just stood there in amazement. He could see the figure but she couldn't? What was going on? The figure just stood there.

Tristan's mom: Are you ok? You seem on edge…

Tristan: Yeah… I'm fine mom.

His mom left and closed the door behind her.

The figure: That's your mom?

Tristan: Yeah…

The figure: She's cute. I can get you anything you'd like for a date with her.

Tristan just laughed. While at the same time he was offended, he also never thought that the figure would say something like that. Just wasn't like him. By now, Tristan was on the floor, laughing his head off while the figure tried to talk to him. His voice was drowned out by laughter. Then finally, Tristan stopped laughing and stood up.

Tristan: So anyway, what's this punishment thing about?

The figure: If you don't complete a challenge within a certain amount of time then you'll have to either die or have somebody you love be killed…

Tristan: Hold on! What?! That's completely insane!

The figure just stood there for a while, in silence. Then he walked out of the room and disappeared again. Tristan went to sleep as normal. Tomorrow he planned to find that note. He didn't want to put anybody at risk. He thought that as he fell asleep.

It was a saturday. He didn't have school. It seemed like the perfect day to find the next note. He knew that he would have to explore old memories of his that he didn't want to go back to. He didn't want to revisit them but by going to that house, he was doing just that. Tristan knew he didn't want anyone to die though. He didn't want to live with knowing that he's killed.

He left the house. He told his parents he would be going for a walk. This surprised them since he didn't like going outside, but they didn't question it. He walked over to the abandoned, old house and opened the unlocked door.


	6. Chapter 6

Tristan explored the old house. He started with the living room, then the dining room along with the kitchen. Then he looked through all the bathrooms and the bedrooms until he figured there was only one place that the note could be at. The basement. He often got creeped out by basements. No, he wasn't scared, he just wasn't usually fond of them. Especially not when it's somebody else's basement. He walked down the steps to the basement, quietly as to not make as sound, as if it mattered. He heard a slight crinkle, like wrappers. It seemed muffled though. He found the source of the sound (in a cabinet) and opened the cabinet door. Rats immediately ran out of the cabinet and Tristan backed up quickly in fear. He investigated the wrapper cabinet shortly afterwards. Nothing. He searched some of the shelves until he came to a strange bump in the wall that seemed to stick out a bit. He pressed it. A wall adjacent to Tristan started to open up. There seems to be a doorway leading somewhere.

Tristan: (thinking) Secret passages? Hidden buttons? What is this, some kind of badly written novel?

Tristan hesitated to walk down the dark hallway. Finally, after about 5 minutes, mustered up the courage and started down the hall. He could barely see anything. He felt his way around the hall. By what he felt, the hall was narrow. He saw a dim light ahead. He walked for what seemed like half an hour. He walked for 8 minutes.

He found the dim room and right in the middle of the room was a folded note. Tristan wondered if Jason and his family built this room or if it was the figure himself somehow. He then grabbed the note and left quickly from the same way he came from.

* * *

He got home and went up to his room. Once he was in his room, he stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. After a few moments, he went over to his desk and went onto his computer. He typed his password in. He then checked his email to check his inbox. There was only one new email. Tristan opened it.

It wasn't normal. He checked the email address. It was a mix of different letters and numbers. There were coordinates in the email. Tristan read them and then copy and pasted them into google maps. The location was an unfinished factory nearby. Once, it was meant to be built but then it was abandoned and never used again. Tristan then went over to the note and read it.

 _For the next challenge, you will need to check your email. You know what to do from there._

 _-S_

He assumed that the next note could be found in the factory. So he planned on leaving to go there the next day.

* * *

Tristan woke up terrified. He found himself drenched in sweat. He went through another nightmare. Tristan got out of bed and realized he was still wearing his clothes from the day. He checked his alarm clock. It read 2:46. He stepped out of his room and walked to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face and returned to bed. Tristan could not stop thinking. His mind was full of questions. He lied there in his bed, thinking all night, until the sun finally rose. He only got out of his bed when he noticed footsteps. His parents had woken up. An hour later, he smelled the sweet scent of bacon. He knew breakfast was ready. Tristan finally got out of bed and walked downstairs. It felt like a normal sunday. Usually his parents made breakfast on sundays. He got his breakfast and then sat down and ate.

Tristan's parents tried to make conversation with him, but Tristan defused all attempts quickly.

"Tristan what's wrong? We've never seen you like this."

He realized it was his mom.

Tristan: Yeah, I'm fine.

His mother looked at him doubtfully but with concern. Tristan felt bad for lying to his parents. He disobedient to his parents, and he even loved his parents a lot too. He still didn't want to know about what he was doing. They wouldn't get it.

Tristan left the house a few hours later, saying that he was going to "meet a friend somewhere". The factory was about 5 miles from his house, and it was a long walk. At times like these, Tristan wished he had a car and could drive. Like his friends. Like almost everyone in his grade.

He had finally approached the unfinished factory. The doors to the place were the last thing he saw before everything went black.


	7. Chapter 7

Everything seemed to go dark. Tristan felt lightweight. He felt as if he were floating. But that feeling didn't last long. He then felt heavier and realized he was awake. Tristan had an awful headache that wasn't going away.

Tristan: (thinking) That's how I went unconscious! Somebody hit me!

Tristan studied his surroundings. It was way too dark to see much. He was lying on the ground in an odd way. As if he had been thrown onto the ground.

Tristan stood up and felt around the room. It seemed to be mostly empty other than the various old machinery that populated the room. Tristan felt his way along the place until he came across a semi-long hallway.

There was a shadow-like bear figure standing in the hall.

Tristan: Hello? Who are you?

And just like that, _wham!_ The lights came on immediately everywhere in the building and the strange figure was gone. Tristan knew it wasn't the same figure that sends the notes. Not only was this new figure a bear, but something about this character just didn't sit right with Tristan.

Tristan noticed that he was inside the factory he was planning on getting in before he went unconscious. He felt that he should find the note since he was already inside.

* * *

Hours later, after looking almost everywhere, he had finally found the note inside the factory storage area. It finally occurred to Tristan to check his phone. The time read 3:44 am. He also had several new messages and missed calls. They were mostly from his parents. He figured they were seriously worried by now, so Tristan left the building and went on his way to his house.

It was lightly sprinkling outside with rain, but Tristan never minded the rain. Tristan also liked the smell of rain. It was very dark outside, and Tristan used his phone flashlight to find his way home. Somehow, instinctually, Tristan knew how to get back to his house. He stopped by Noah's house, since it was nearby, but didn't ask to actually go in. He did the same for the Shane's house. But not Amelia's. He couldn't explain to himself why though. Everytime he stopped by a house, he couldn't help but feel longing. Like he wanted to confess to something badly. After the last house, Tristan went on his way.

Tristan's legs seemed to ache every time he walked. But the pain only motivated Tristan more.

* * *

His house was close. Tristan felt nervous as he approached it. He knew he was in for a very long lecture from his parents. He braced himself as he walked in the door.

As he guessed, he was right. He was in for a long lecture. As his parents yelled at him, anything he responded with was "ok" or "yes". He didn't want to argue with his parents. He just wanted to be alone.

They yelled at him on and on about how he should have "at least called" along with other things. Finally, after what seemed like a billion years, they let Tristan go. It was almost 6 am. Tristan didn't feel tired. He didn't sleep. Once it was time for him to go to school, he got ready and then left.

* * *

Tristan planned to tell his friends about the notes. The truth. The whole truth. He wanted to confess. He actually wanted help. He didn't know what to do. Sure maybe he might be seen as insane, but that's the price you might just have to pay.

Tristan sat down at his table with his friends. They were having a casual conversation together. Tristan took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak. Nothing would come out. He couldn't tell them. He tried again. Nothing.

"Hey Tristan!"

Amelia had tried to talk to Tristan. Tristan didn't listen. Amelia's expression turned from happy to concerned. Tristan could see the look on her face.

Tristan: Amelia, can I tell you something? Something secret? So secret, you need to swear that you won't tell anyone, ok?

Amelia: Yeah...why?

Tristan explained everything. From the notes to the figure. Everything. It felt nice to Tristan to finally get that of his chest. To confess. Afterwards, Amelia just looked at him. Tristan wondered what the emotion could have been on her face. Was it concern? Disbelief? Relief? Even disgust? Tristan couldn't be sure.

Tristan: So?

Amelia: You have been acting strange, and this would explain a lot…

Tristan: So you believe me?

Amelia: Tristan…you don't have to make things up to get attention, I mean, I get that your parents-

Tristan: (interrupting) I'm not making any of this up! Please, you have to believe me!

Amelia: I'm sorry...but I can't.

The hallway was crowded, yet Tristan still felt alone. Amelia walked away. Tristan just stood there. Tristan wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. Nevertheless, Tristan went to class anyway.


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a week since Amelia had talked with Tristan. They hadn't talked since Tristan tried to open up about the notes. Amelia rarely even made eye contact with Tristan. Not at lunch, not in the halls, not even in class. Tristan didn't talk to Noah or Shane either.

Tristan just did his work obediently and quietly in school and lounged around at home. _Is this what being an introvert is like?,_ thought Tristan. If Tristan had to think of himself as anything in life, he would've never thought that it would be "the quiet, always calm" introvert. He also didn't like labels. Especially not on him. Tristan never wanted to be know as "that guy". Labels to him were like putting a sign on somebody's back that says something untrue about them. Or even like putting someone in a tiny box where they can barely move or breathe.

Those thoughts occupied Tristan's mind until a week later, the note finally came across his mind. Tristan was lying on his bed lazily when it occurred to him to read it. Tristan collected the note from under his bed and unfolded it.

The note was completely blank. There wasn't a word on it. Tristan searched the note only to find nothing. Then suddenly Tristan could smell the familiar scent of blood and gasoline. But this time it was different. The atmosphere in the room felt more sinister.

Tristan turned around to see the shadowy bear he had found at the factory. He was standing in the closet where it was darkest. Tristan could barely see it other than the bright white eyes.

Panic started to set in. Tristan just stared back at it. Neither of them said a word. Tristan observed the figure closely. It only stood there. Motionless. Then the shadow came towards Tristan. Tristan sprinted out of the room and to the stairs. It was nighttime and his parents weren't home. They had been working overtime at their jobs. Of course.

Tristan was a quarter of the way down the stairs when he had accidentally skipped a step on the stairway. He reached out, trying to grab onto something but nothing was there.

 _"At least there aren't that many steps here"_ was what Tristan thought before he fell over sideways onto the steps.

He had rolled down the rest of the steps. The pain he felt was unbearable. Tristan let out a slight moan. It hurt even to do something as simple as that. The figure was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at Tristan. Tristan painfully got back up off the ground. He noticed the smell of blood had gotten stronger. Then he realized that there was blood on the stairs where Tristan had hit his head on impact. Tristan shifted his hand around his face until he came to the right side of his forehead where it was wet with blood. He decided to worry about something else. The back door was to his right, near the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom. He decided to head there.

Tristan felt his ears ringing. His head felt as if it had been hit with a truck as well. Tristan stumbled through the house. His balance was off majorly. It wasn't a surprise to Tristan when he fell over onto the dining room table. Tristan got back up only to fall onto the floor. The cool linoleum was almost soothing to his burning head. Tristan tried to get back up again. He lost his balance and started falling over again. Only this time, Tristan was falling over onto the kitchen counter. In an attempt to not fall over, Tristan tried grabbing onto something. He had grabbed a nearby glass. That didn't work at all. Once he fell over, the glass shattered and Tristan ended up lying there in some of the broken glass pieces. The glass seemed to cut deeply. Tristan winced as he, once again, tried to get up. This time he was successful, but he saw the figure was standing a few meters from him.

Tristan sprinted out the back door, almost limping, through the grass, not stopping to look back. He was almost to the shed when a wave of nausea kicked in. Tristan was powerless to fight it and then he had found himself doubled over, vomiting in the grass. He then crawled over to the shed and opened it. He closed the door on himself and got out his dad's hunting rifle he used whenever he went hunting. Once, a few years ago, he had tried to get Tristan into liking hunting. He had taken him out hunting with him a few times but Tristan didn't enjoy it.

Tristan found the ammo for the gun, loaded it, and trained it on the door. It was silent until he heard shuffling outside the door. Tristan's body tensed as he waited for the door to open. But it didn't. Tristan approached the door slowly and reached to open it. He opened the door. The figure wasn't there. Tristan searched the entire house. The thing was gone.

Tristan was planning on having a serious talk to the shadow bunny. That was the last thought he had before the world seemed to go dark and he passed out.


	9. Chapter 9

Tristan's parents got home a few minutes after Tristan passed out. The sight of his son passed out on the floor horrified them. At first, they thought he was dead. He was just unconscious. It had taken them a few moments to realize it, but then they saw that Tristan was still breathing. Once they realized that, they woke him up and got him to a hospital.

Tristan's condition wasn't too bad. He had been cut by some glass and the doctors had told him he had a concussion from falling down the stairs, which made sense. He was also told he needed to stay home for a few days, which he was fine with.

Tristan hadn't told the doctors and his parents the _real_ story though. What he had said was, he tripped and fell down the stairs going down and then went to get a glass of water and then tripped again. Everyone seemed to have bought the story.

* * *

Tristan opened the refrigerator. He looked around for a few seconds before getting a soda from the bottom shelf. Tristan turned around and saw the shadowy bunny figure standing behind him in the corner of the kitchen, which was surprising considering since Tristan usually would have noticed the smell of blood and gasoline first. But there's a first time for everything.

Tristan was embarrassed to be caught by the figure since he was in his pajamas and with a blanket around him. Tristan told himself that in his defense,he was binge-watching his favorite show and he had just woke up.

Tristan: Yes?

Tristan had sounded tired and sarcastic at the same time.

The figure: We need to talk.

Tristan processed this. _Why would the figure need to talk to me?_ , Tristan thought. But then Tristan remembered the shadow bear he saw the other day. Tristan started to worry. He sat down with the figure and talked with him.

The figure: I assume you've... met my brother by now…

Tristan: What?! That's your brother?

The figure nodded.

Tristan: No way. You are not related to him.

Tristan knew what he said was a lie. Mostly to himself, though. After all, it would make sense if the bear was his brother.

The figure: Sadly, it's true. I am related to him. Now you don't have to believe me, but at least let me explain.

Tristan reluctantly said ok.

The figure: My brother is, simply put, evil. I've known that for a long time. He doesn't talk much, but if he does, don't trust what he says. He cannot be trusted. He's a very sly and convincing fellow but I have a feeling about you, Tristan. You seem like you can't be fooled by anyone. You-

Tristan: (interrupting) So what exactly is your point? Or actually, why do you have me going after notes you placed?

The figure smiled. Tristan shivered slightly out of fear.

The figure: Perhaps some things are best left unknown.

 **Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter is pretty short, I've been a bit busy lately. See you guys later!**


	10. Chapter 10

The cold invigorated Tristan awake. It was January. He had gone outside to walk to his bus stop. Tristan wasn't very excited to go back to school because of multiple factors. He knew that all his friends (and maybe even people he didn't know) would be all over him about what happened and why he wasn't in school. Then there was Amelia. Would they ever be friends again? If they do, will Amelia act all awkward around him? Thoughts like that battered Tristan's mind again and again. But then again, who ever likes going to school?

Tristan was surprised when he saw Noah standing at the same bus stop as him. Tristan walked over to him and tried making conversation.

Tristan: So tell me, when did you start standing at this bus stop?

Noah: Woah! Hey Tristan! Are you ok? I heard what happened. I-

Tristan: I'm fine. But seriously though, why are you at this bus stop now?

Noah: It's a long story. But anyway, what's going on with you? Good things?

Tristan: Honestly, no. I'm really worried to go back to school, but mostly because of Amelia.

Noah: Oh? What happened? If you don't mind telling me…

Tristan explained how he was worried about how Amelia would act around him because of what he had said the other day before.

Noah: Well what'd you say?

Tristan: Uh…

Tristan automatically regretted saying anything to Noah. He didn't want to have to say what he had _actually_ said. After all, he didn't want Noah thinking he was crazy too.

Tristan: I told her… I told her that…

Noah: That what?

Tristan winced a bit. He cringed as he said the nine words.

Tristan: I told her I had a crush on her…

Tristan found himself looking down at his shoes, embarrassed from what he had just said. He hadn't told anybody he had feelings for Amelia. Tristan looked back up at Noah. Noah just stared at Tristan, dumbfounded.

Noah: Wow. You and Amelia? I would have never guessed it. Usually I have a mental radar for things like that…

Tristan looked away from him and smiled to himself. Outsmarting Noah isn't something Tristan is able to do very often. In fact, outsmarting Noah isn't something just about anyone can do.

The two of them stood in silence for a while until their bus arrived. They both got on and sat across from each other on the bus. They still didn't talk much. Tristan could only guess what Noah was thinking. He was likely still processing what he had heard from Tristan.

* * *

The first part of the day seemed to go by fast for Tristan. Same classes, same friends, same teachers, same routine. Tristan later got his lunch and started towards his friends. But something stopped him. He knew Amelia would act weird around him. He didn't really have any other real friends to sit with though. Tristan didn't feel he had others he knew that he could fit in with.

Tristan approached the table and sat down anyway. His friends greeted him as he sat down. Except Amelia. She looked away slightly as Tristan sat down.

Shane: Hey guys! Recently, I've gotten into drawing, and I wanted to share some of my drawings with you!

Noah: Ok, go ahead.

Shane pulled out a binder out from under the table and opened it.

Noah: Uh, where did that come from? Or actually, has that been under there the whole time?

Shane: Pretty much. Anyway, here are some of my best drawings I've made so far.

Shane opened up the clasps on the binder and pulled out a couple different drawings. The first one was a very well drawn picture of a sort of scientist looking character.

Shane: So this one here is a bit of a long story, so let me explain. One time, when I was online, I found this wiki site where you can post short stories of creatures and anomalies. And you can read about them as if they were real! Of course, it's fake. But the thing is, on this site everyone puts on a scientist persona, pretending to be a scientist that studies these anomalies! And this is mine that I made.

Noah: That's actually really good. You should draw more often.

Tristan: Yeah…

Shane: Thanks! That's actually one of the first compliments I've gotten on my drawings.

Shane showed them a few more drawings. Tristan had a hard time focusing though. He was too focused on Amelia, who was staring into space, unfocused on what was happening next to her.

* * *

As Amelia walked to her locker to get her things from her locker for the end of the day, Tristan approached her.

Tristan: Hey, Amelia, listen, I wanted to say sorry for the other day. But-

Amelia: (interrupting) It's ok. I get it. You were going through a lot at the time and you probably felt a bit desperate for attention. I get it. Sometimes I do things like that as well. But you know you don't have to do and say things like that just to get approval from me, right?

Tristan wanted to object, but he went with it anyway. After all, at least it would allow Tristan to make her believe he wasn't entirely crazy.

Tristan: Yeah…

Amelia: It's fine! I totally get it! When I was really younger, I used to go outside and play with my sister a lot. And we used to be totally competitive against each other, all the time. So anyway, there was this big tree in the backyard. And when my sister went inside and then came back out, I said that I had climbed it! She definitely bought into it. She even told mom about it!

Tristan: That's cool. Did they ever find out?

Amelia: They did a few years later, but by then it didn't even matter. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to come study with me at my house! I could get some snacks and stuff…

Tristan tried to act cool.

Tristan: Yeah, sure, whatever.

Too cool. Way too cool.

Tristan: I-I mean yeah! Of course.

Amelia: Ok! Cool! Meet me there at… how about 3:45?

Tristan: That sounds cool. Sure!

Amelia: Ok!

Amelia smiled and waved as she walked away. It was enough to send Tristan's pulse into overdrive.


	11. Chapter 11

Tristan dropped some of his stuff off at his house. He kept most of the essential things from school though. After all, he was supposed to be there to study with Amelia. He loaded up his backpack with school supplies, notebook paper, a laptop, and other things. When asked by his parents if he wanted to be driven to her place, Tristan declined. Because for starters, he didn't want to be embarrassed by his parents and secondly, he didn't want to have to be driven somewhere where he could just walk there. He liked to be able to be alone for a bit with his thoughts.

* * *

Tristan gathered his things and left the house at 3:20. There was a trail by his house in his neighborhood that used to be used by hikers. There was an old urban myth about the trail involving a demon that resides in the woods next to the trail. Rumor has it that once, a hiker went through the trail, and was never heard from again. Tristan didn't care. He went on through the trail anyway.

On his phone, Tristan pulled open Spotify and looked through the numerous playlists he had saved. It seemed like almost ⅙ of Tristan's time was adding songs to a playlist. There were playlists for seasons, moods, and environments. Tristan loved how a song could almost mimic a situation he was in through lyrics. He got out earbuds from his jacket pocket, plugged them in, and listened to Africa by Toto.

Minutes later, Tristan got a text notification on his phone. It was from Amelia. It read: _Hey, I got the snacks. I'll be back home in a few. You're still available tonight, right?_ Tristan checked the time. It was 3:34. He had about ten minutes to get there. He wasn't really worried. He was nearing the end of the trail, and once he exited the trail, it would only be a couple blocks until he had arrived at her house. Tristan texted back: _Yeah, I'm still available. I'm heading to your place now. I'll be there soon._

Tristan had exited the trail and was now walking through Amelia's neighborhood. A few minutes later, Tristan had gotten another notification on his phone from Amelia. It read: _Okay, cool. I'm almost back home._ Tristan then texted back: _Ok. I'm almost there._ As soon as Tristan sent the text, Amelia texted back: _Okay, I'm home. Where are you?_ Tristan responded with: _I see your house, I'm almost there._ The house was only a block away, Tristan would be there soon.

Right as the song Tristan was listening to ended, Tristan was at Amelia's driveway. There was no car in it though. Tristan texted Amelia one word: _Liar._ A few seconds after Tristan sent the text, a car pulled into the driveway. Amelia texted back: _You were saying? Lmao._ Tristan laughed as he saw the text. Amelia hopped out of the front passengers seat of the car. She then went to the trunk and grabbed Doritos, Coke, Popcorn, and other junk foods.

Amelia: (While approaching Tristan) Ok, I have all the snacks, want to go inside?

Tristan: (While holding up backpack) Yeah, I brought my work with me.

Amelia: Okay! Come on in then.

Tristan had only been inside Amelia's house once before, and it wasn't for very long, so he was kind of excited.

* * *

Tristan and Amelia decided to do homework in the living room together.

Amelia: (While writing) Okay, so then we take x times 4 which equals 4x… Actually, I just got an idea. How about we put on some music? Or maybe put on the T.V. as background noise? It'd help me focus.

Tristan: Um, music would be nice. Television doesn't really help me focus, but anything would be better than the silence.

Amelia: (While getting on phone) Ok. I really like 80's music. Are you ok with that?

Tristan: Yeah…

Amelia started playing an 80's song playlist on youtube. The playlist started out with Time after Time by Cyndi Lauper.

Amelia: Anyway, so then we take the 7 here and we…

Tristan wasn't able to focus to what Amelia was saying and started daydreaming a bit.

Amelia: Hey, Tristan, are you ok?

Tristan: Huh? Oh, Uh, yeah. I just can't really focus well…

Amelia: Why? What's wrong?

Tristan sighed. It had been weeks since he had gotten a visit from the shadow bunny figure. He was worried that he or his brother would show up anytime now to ruin his life. He didn't want to tell Amelia since she would probably never talk to Tristan again afterwards.

Tristan: I'm… I'm just really stressed as of recently…

This was true. You see, at school, nobody really liked Tristan. He had more friends than enemies. The reason why still puzzles Tristan. Work at school was also really piling up, and it felt like his parents didn't care about him anymore at home.

Amelia then said the most meaningful thing she had ever said to Tristan.

Amelia: Well, sometimes you just have to get through it. Because at the end of every rainstorm, is a rainbow. All things get better, no matter how bad things may seem. And just know, I'm here for you too. Noah is too. So is Shane.

Tristan turned away from Amelia as a tear fell from his eye. Amelia put her hand on Tristan's shoulder. Tristan's heart skipped a beat. Tristan and Amelia both smiled. Tristan turned back to face Amelia, even though she could see he was on the brink of crying.

Tristan: Are your parents home?

Amelia: No, why?

Tristan leaned in slowly, closer and closer to Amelia's body until he came in for a kiss which Amelia accepted.


	12. Chapter 12

The kiss was long and nice for Tristan. Tristan was petting the side of Amelia's face when Amelia leaned out of the kiss. She looked into Tristan's eyes. Tristan was mesmerized by the look on her face, the sparkle in her eyes, the kiss she had given. Amelia blushed and smiled a bit. But so did Tristan. They sat by each other in silence for a long while.

Tristan: You don't know how long I have wanted to do that…

Amelia: Same here...

Tristan pulled Amelia closer to him, hugging her tightly. Amelia looked up at Tristan, smiling. Tristan rested his head on her shoulder, breathing in and out slowly as Amelia rested in his lap.

It was nighttime by the time Tristan had gotten home. He had spent quite a while at Amelia's. He found a note on the kitchen table, from his parents.

 _Went to get groceries, be back soon! Love, Mom and Dad_.

Tristan put the note back down on the table and headed upstairs. He lied down face up on his bed. He opened up his phone and texted Noah.

 **Me:** Hey.

Noah texted back surprisingly quickly.

 **Noah:** Hey man. What's up?

Tristan forgot why he even started texting Noah in the first place. He stopped and reached into the back of his memory to try and remember.

 **Me:** I need to talk to you about something really important to me. I talked to Amelia about this but she didn't believe me.

Tristan had remembered what he had meant to say. Once he had typed out his text, he stopped for a second before sending it. There's no telling what Noah will think. The oh-so familiar stench of blood and gasoline took Tristan by storm. Tristan put his phone in his jeans pocket, with the camera part sticking out.

The figure: He won't believe you.

Tristan: What are you talking about?

The figure: You know what I'm talking about.

Tristan: True, but why are you here?

The figure: ...Meet me in the parking lot of your school in 3 hours. I'll explain later.

Tristan: Wait… What about the notes? Why haven't I gotten one of those yet?

The figure: Like I said, I'll explain later. Everything will be explained later.

The figure walked out of the room and then disappeared. Tristan pulled out his phone again and smirked, then pressed the "stop recording" button on his camera.

Tristan: How's that for proof, you son of a bitch. Tristan: 1, mysterious figure: 0

Tristan walked along the wet pavement. It was very lightly raining outside, like salt being sprinkled lightly on a steak. All the sudden, Tristan got a text notification from Noah. He had almost forgotten all about him.

 **Noah:** Are you dead? Seriously? Did you need me?

 **Me:** Yeah. Btw I'm heading to the school rn. I need to study a bit. Hey, listen, I need to tell you something important, ok?

Noah responded shortly after.

 **Noah:** Yeah?

Tristan took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out before he composed his next message.

 **Me:** You remember that note I got in my locker that one time? Yeah. Turns out, the note was sent by this weird, mysterious guy who wants me to find note after note that have been placed by him by going through these "challenges" or whatever.

Tristan pressed send without thinking. Noah responded minutes later, longer than Tristan would've thought he would. As if he weren't sure how to respond.

 **Noah:** Prove it.

 **Me:** No problem.

Tristan opened his photos and sent the video he had taken of the figure to Noah. Tristan was surprised at how simple and easy it was to do. No tricks from the figure, nothing. Tristan then continued to proceed to the school.

Tristan stood at the front doors of the school. Noah still wasn't replying. He obviously wasn't sure what to make of what Tristan had sent him. Tristan looked around, but couldn't find the figure. Then he checked behind the school, and sure enough, the figure was there. He seemed to be dripping, but it didn't seem to bother him.

The figure: So, you came through on your word.

Tristan: I always do. Anyway, why did you need me?

The figure gave Tristan the iconic evil smile he always does.

The figure: ...Agree or disagree. You can't hide the truth forever. And the more you do, the more the lies pile up, haunting you forever. Or, at least, until you reveal the hidden truth.

Tristan: Uh, wow. That's kind of deep but… I can agree. Why? You looking to reveal something to me today? Like your real name or something like that?

The figure: Well aren't you smart? I figure that if you're so smart this simple riddle should be a breeze for you. 'I live where there is light, but I die if light shines on me, what am I?'

Tristan took a few moments to figure it out. It wasn't as simple as the figure said it was. Tristan repeated the words in his mind over and over again. _I live where there is light, but I die if light shines on me, what am I?_ Tristan said his next words carefully, delicately.

Tristan: Shadow. A shadow.

Then it felt like the whole world exploded and imploded at the same time as Tristan came to a stunning realization. The figure is a shadow! That was what the 's' stood for at the end of the note! The entire time, the whole thing was-

The world around Tristan started spinning. Tristan felt light-headed. He stumbled, falling over backwards onto the grass below him.

Shadow: Well, it seems like you've figured it out. Well done. My name is Shadow. Or at least, that's what you can call me. Now I need you to prepare for what I'm about to tell you, and brace yourself beforehand.

Tristan: I don't know if I can take anymore. All of this information is just… hitting me too hard and fast for me too handle…

Shadow: Well, at least try. Anyway, I… uh, how should I put this in a way you'll understand..? We live within multiple parallel universes at once. So what if I told you… I'm not from this universe. And in mine, I stalk the halls in an old pizzeria with robot-animatronics that uh… kill others.

Tristan was stunned. He had never heard something so outlandish. But he was also interested.

Tristan: How did you get in my "universe"?

Shadow: Simple. I possess the ability to shift or, as I like to call it, glitch through realities and even time itself. I can predict the future. I can even make an impact. You see, what I see when I glitch through time isn't always what happens in the end. If someone decides not to take a certain bus, or walk down a certain trail… or even listen to a certain note they might have found in their locker, that choice, those choices, can make the difference between life and death.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again guys! This will be my last chapter of this story, so enjoy!**

Tristan's head was spinning. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He felt as if his entire life had somehow been a lie. Before he could respond back, he heard leaves rustling and leaves crackling in the nearby woods right by the school. He turned toward the direction of the leaves, turned back toward Shadow, and he was gone.

Tristan: Hey! Who's there?

Shane: Tristan, it's me!

Tristan was relieved to hear shane's voice. The muscles in his face relaxed more. But then he wondered how he knew where he was.

Tristan: How did you know where I was?

Shane: Noah texted me! He told me where you'd be.

Tristan: Oh.

Shane rubbed his hands together nervously, as if not knowing what to say next.

Shane: Noah showed me the video…

Tristan: And?

Shane: ...I believe you. Noah does too. I don't know if Amelia has seen the video yet, though.

Tristan sighed with relief. Then they exchanged looks, and stood there, unknowing on what to say next, and who would be the first to talk. Tristan was waiting for Shane to speak and Shane was waiting for Tristan to speak.

Tristan: Anyway, I have to go home. I'm tired.

Shane: You do that. Do you want me to walk you home?

Tristan: Uh, I think I'm good, thanks.

So Tristan walked by Shane until they were in the parking lot. Then they went their separate ways. Shadow's words to Tristan stuck in his mind, repeating themselves over and over again.

 _Anyway, I… uh, how should I put this in a way you'll understand..? We live within multiple parallel universes at once. So what if I told you… I'm not from this universe. And in mine, I stalk the halls in an old pizzeria with robot-animatronics that uh… kill others. I possess the ability to shift or, as I like to call it, glitch through realities and even time itself. I can predict the future. I can even make an impact. You see, what I see when I glitch through time isn't always what happens in the end. If someone decides not to take a certain bus, or walk down a certain trail… or even listen to a certain note they might have found in their locker, that choice, those choices, can make the difference between life and death._

Tristan then checked the time. It was 8:09. Then he texted him parents, telling them he was coming home.

When Tristan was finally home, he went upstairs and immediately went to sleep.

"Tristan"

The name repeated itself over and over again, not stopping. It got louder and louder until Tristan woke up. He turned to his alarm clock. It read 3:00 exactly. Tristan heard urban legends about 3 a.m. Supposedly, it's the Devil's hour. That's supposed to be when demons and whatnot would lurk around.

Shadow: Tristan.

Tristan: AAH!

Tristan had screamed so loud he was surprised it didn't wake the neighbors. Or his parents. Shadow ignored it. His brother was with him too.

Shadow: I need you to know something. We've seen enough in our days. Our time is over.

Tristan: What? What are you talking about? I don't get it…

Shadow sighed.

Shadow: Me and my brother are… our time is up, let's just say that.

Tristan: So what are you going to do then?

Tristan automatically regretted his last words. He saw a matchbox in Shadow's brother's hand. He took a match, lighted it, and before Tristan knew what was going to happen, he dropped it on the floor, burning them and everything around them. They stood there emotionless as the flames consumed them. Tristan was stunned. He couldn't think, couldn't speak, he was shocked. Then, before the flames could reach him, as they engulfed the room more and more, he bolted out of the door and then into the hallway. By now the smoke detectors were going off, and he could hear his parents yelling and calling to Tristan. The flames started to spread more and more. Smoke was filling the entire house. Tristan coughed violently. He then stepped out onto the stairs when the step collapsed and Tristan fell down the stairs.

Tristan: (Thinking) Not again…

When Tristan slid down the last step, his entire body was throbbing in pain, and the house was almost completely consumed by flames. Fire spreads fast. He was surprised debris hadn't come crashing down on top of him yet. Everything was blurry for Tristan. He was lying with his back towards the ceiling. He could hear the footsteps of the fire department. The fire fighters picked him up off his feet and headed to the back door, the closest exit. Then out of nowhere, a huge chunk of the ceiling came down on top of the fire fighters, killing them both instantly. The back door was all blocked up. Tristan looked around, trying to see where the front door was when a hand grabbed his shoulder

It was his dad. He looked at Tristan with concerned eyes. They both headed for the front door, and when they were almost through, an explosion blasted them both out of the house.

Everything went blurry again. He could see fire fighters, police officers, an ambulance, and his friends all crowding together. The cold wind was a major contrast to the fire, and Tristan stood back up, and merely observed as his whole world came crashing down. He saw Amelia with her beautiful looks, Noah with his concerned eyes, Shane with his creative mind. He still had so many unanswered questions for Shadow.

But perhaps some things are best left unknown.


End file.
